Senate debates

Thursday, 16 February 2017

Questions on Notice(2 speeches) In accordance with the resolution of the Senate, I provide information in relation to responses to three categories of questions taken on notice, or, in the third case, documents ordered to be...

Withdrawal(2 speeches) Pursuant to notice given on 15 February 2017, I withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2 standing in my name for 20 March 2017 proposing the disallowance of the Financial Framework...

Selection of Bills Committee; Report(5 speeches) I present the second report of 2017 of the Selection of Bills Committee and I seek leave to have the report incorporated into Hansard. Leave granted. The report read as follows SELECTION OF BILLS...

Consideration of Legislation(1 speech) I move: That the order of general business for consideration today be as follows: (a) general business orders of the day: no. 39 Criminal Code Amendment (Prohibition of Full Face Coverings in...

Leave of Absence(2 speeches) by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Payne for today on account of ministerial business. Question agreed to.

Senators' Interests Committee; Reference(8 speeches) I move: That the following matter be referred to the Standing Committee of Senators' Interests for inquiry and report by 23 March 2017: Whether the form of the register should be amended to...

Government Agencies: Decentralisation(2 speeches) I, and also on behalf of Senator McKenzie and O'Sullivan, move: That the Senate notes that: (a) over many years, state and federal governments and local communities have seen the benefits of...

Pensions and Benefits(4 speeches) I move: That the Senate— (a) notes the essential role of social security payments in the budgets of many struggling Australians and Australian families; (b) notes the likely unfair impact...

Strengthening Communities Grants(4 speeches) I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) pursuant to a decision of the 2016-17 Federal Budget, the Department of Social Services is currently undertaking a redesign of the...

Economics Legislation Committee; Report(1 speech) On behalf of the chair of the Ecomomics Legislation Committee, Senator Hume, I present the report of the committee on the provisions of the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Misuse of Market...

Taxation(16 speeches) My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Last year, the minister advised the Senate: There will be no change to the 50 per cent CGT discount for...

Renewable Energy Target(9 speeches) My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. Can the minister inform the Senate what the impact on the economy would be of another state-based 50 per cent renewable energy target?

Pensions and Benefits(6 speeches) My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. On Monday the Treasurer said: The balance of the savings achieved through that bill will be provided and debited...

Economy(13 speeches) Like a dog, my question is to Senator Cormann representing the Treasurer—

Medicare(8 speeches) My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Nash. I refer to the Prime Minister, who, on the eve of the 2 July election, gave an absolute guarantee that nobody...

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade(8 speeches) As a servant to the people of Queensland and Australia, I refer the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Brandis, to revelations that Islamist activist Yassmin...

Mining(12 speeches) My question is to the very sophisticated Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Canavan. Can the minister provide an update on major resource projects in northern Australia,...

Defence Procurement(19 speeches) My question is to the Attorney-General, Minister representing the Minister for Defence. It is axiomatic that, if Defence wastage is eliminated or significantly reduced, the same defence...

Broadband(8 speeches) My question is to the Minister for Regional Development, Senator Nash. TheYoung Witness, in a story titled 'NBN is a dud in Young say locals', reports the NBN is delivering speeds half of those...

Child Care(8 speeches) My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Will the minister update the Senate on the cost pressures faced by families with small children in child care?

Medicare(16 speeches) My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Nash. I refer to the new Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, who says: I have and we have a rock solid commitment to the...

Food Security(9 speeches) My question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Fierravanti-Wells. Can the minister advise the Senate what the Turnbull government is doing to improve food...

Australia Post(1 speech) I wish to correct an answer I gave in response to a question last Thursday. I inadvertently referred to the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, the PGPA Act, rather than...

Taxation(8 speeches) I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by Senator Brandis to the question I asked. Once again, we see a government in absolute chaos. We see a rabble of the government. We see Phil...

Economy(1 speech) I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) to questions without notice asked by me today. I would like to explain, in the five minutes I...

Human Rights Committee; Report(1 speech) On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the Human rights scrutiny report: report 1 of 2017. Ordered that the report be printed. I seek leave to have the tabling...

Public Accounts and Audit Committee; Report(1 speech) On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I present report No. 460: Public sector governance—inquiry based on Auditor-General's report 29 (2015-16). I seek leave to...

Publications Committee; Report(1 speech) On behalf of the Chair of the Publications Committee, I present the fourth report of the Publications Committee. Ordered that the report be adopted.

Consideration(1 speech) At this stage we should move to the consideration of documents, but I understand that an informal agreement has been reached that they not be considered today. If that is the wish of the Senate...